The Look In Her Beautiful Eyes
by Spookukitty
Summary: TenXRy. A fight with Ayeka forces Ryoko to go back to her old life. When she returns, she is a changed woman. Will Tenchi still love her? Chapter 5 is up. Complete!
1. Oh Tenchi, My Tenchi

Disclaimer: I don't own Tenchi...I'm just a teenage girl writing crappie fanfic. that includes him and his buddies.

**The Look In Her Beautiful Eyes**

**By: Spookukitty **

A/N: I usually do Rurouni Kenshin stories so this is my first Tenchi story! Woo-hoo! I thought it up one night when I couldn't sleep...I have no life. Ryoko is by far my favorite character from the show. She's rude, funny, and she loves her attitude, I love that about her, but I started to think of what would happen if she completely changed? Not everyone likes her the way she is. In my story she becomes a quiet and emotionally pained woman after an incident. The past I used for Ryoko is completely made up...and way off. I honestly don't know what happens in Ryoko's past in the Tenchi Muyo series, since I haven't seen it since it **first aired** on Cartoon Network about...six or more years ago (sigh). All I remember is that she starts off as a "mummy", chases Tenchi around his school, and Washu is her mother. (If you are the first person to review my story...please tell me her real past!) I only have a bargain-bin videotape (sad but true) containing the first 3 episodes of Tenchi Muyo. I am a bigger fan of the Tenchi In Tokyo series, since I watch my precious DVD's very often. Also, you will notice that I have sort of (sweatdrops) made Ayeka the "bad guy" because...I hate her. She's not a bad girl, she just gets on my last nerve (and why the hell does she have a slight British accent? That question plagues me!). .

**Chapter 1:**** Oh Tenchi, My Tenchi**

It was a wild and rainy night at the Masaki house and almost everyone was asleep. Ryoko slowly phased through the floor of Tenchi's room and perched herself lightly on the lamp by his bedside. He was sleeping very soundly as she watched him (or so she thought). She placed her hand on his cheek, causing his mouth to curl into a small smirk.

"At least one of us is able to have sweet dreams on a night like this." she whispered while rubbing his cheek. She slowly floated to the end of his bed.

"I hate the rain, Tenchi." she smiled. Ryoko always felt happiest when she was alone with Tenchi. Even if he was asleep, his company made her feel at ease.

_The next morning_

An extremely loud banging noise that sent Tenchi flying head over heels onto the floor, told him it was time to wake up. His door was slid open and revealed a very chipper Sasami holding a large gong.

"Come on, Tenchi! Rise and shine or you'll be late for school. It is a beautiful morning and breakfast is on the table" she banged the gong again. Ryo-ohki meowed with delight on Sasami's left shoulder.

"T-thank you, Sasami. I'll be down shortly." he rubbed the back of his head as he peeled himself off the floor.

"Oh, and please make sure you wake up Ryoko before you come to breakfast." she gave him a sly smile as she slid the door shut.

Tenchi was confused about Sasami's request until he turned around and saw Ryoko curled up on the foot of his bed. He turned red at the sight of her snuggled up to his blankets. He slowly tapped her on the shoulder.

"Ryoko...breakfast is rea-ahhhh!"

His sentence was cut short when Ryoko grabbed him and flung him on the bed. She knelt over him with a seductive smile.

"Good morning my Tenchi. Did you sleep well?" she traced small circles with her finger on his chest. His face went bright red and he slowly inched away from her.

"I don't know! Maybe you should tell me!" he got to his feet, but immediately landed on the floor with a loud crash. "Ryoko get off me!"

"Oh Tenchi it's not what you think! I was simply frightened by the rain last night and came to your room for safety." she put the back of her hand up to her forehead and let out a sarcastic moan. Tenchi picked her up off of him and threw her on the bed. He chuckled at her as he turned away.

"Quit goofing around and lets go downstairs to breakfast." He dashed from the room. To be honest, he liked Ryoko and found her "secret" nightly gazes at him very pleasant, she was just very...Ryoko. She was always so touchy-feely with him. It made him feel embarrassed but he didn't _hate_ it when she hugged him. He knew that she was very divoted to him and he liked her comic personality. He liked her for who she was; a loud, aggressive yet strangely lovely space pirate. He couldn't imagine her any other way, so he accepted her, strange powers and all.

"Good morning, everyone." Tenchi said to the dinning room full of ladies as he sat at the table. He gave everyone a big smile that set off a chain reaction of everyone else's smiles.

"Good morning, Tenchi!" said all of the girls in unison. They were passing huge plates of pancakes, scrambled eggs, and toast around the overly-crowded table. Sasami came out of the kitchen holding two enormous pitchers that contained syrup and orange juice. Ryo-ohki was perched on top of her head with a plate of sliced carrots, which was obviously her breakfast.

Tenchi looked around at all the people in the room for a moment. Kiyone was yelling at Mihoshi about some mission they had to go on after breakfast. Mihoshi was crying because she was going to miss the new episode of Spacepolice Policeman. Beside her was Washu, who was tinkering with what appeared to be a very dangerous computer mouse. Sasami sat down next to her and offering her some juice, causing Washu to drop the gadget...and it exploded. Tenchi's dad and grandfather (A/N: "Dad" and "Grandfather" that's what I call them...I give up on their real names) were quietly discussing something under their breathe. Ayeka was at Tenchi's right side, smiling at him.

"Can I offer you some toast, Lord Tenchi?" she placed two slices on his plate before he could answer.

"Oh. Thank you, Miss Ayeka." he gave her a warm smile. Ayeka was always being as helpful as she could to Tenchi, and he appreciated it. She was so sweet. (A/N: She is also trying way too hard.)

"There was a loud crash from upstairs. Are you all right?

"Yea, I just-" he was suddenly being pulled to his left. Ryoko had arrived and had her arms gently around his neck. Ayeka was instantly jealous.

"Tenchi and I were just having a little bit of fun." Ryoko said as a wicked smile appeared on her face.

"Ryoko, remove your hands from Lord Tenchi this instant!" Ayeka's face turned bright red with the thought of Ryoko and Tenchi...

"Oh Tenchi, my Tenchi..." said Ryoko's flirty voice into Tenchi's ear.

"I told you to leave him alone!" Ayeka screeched.

Tenchi quickly found himself being tugged on from both sides. Ayeka and Ryoko were yelling and fuming back and forth at each other, leaving poor Tenchi in a daze.

"Space trash!"

"Princess prissy pants!"

"Cave troll!"

"Troll _princess_!"

Ryoko finally won the tug-o-war match and continued to yell at Ayeka.

"Gaah, I wish someone would kill the bug that is constantly up your ass!"

"There is no such thing up...up _there_ you evil space bum!" Ayeka made another grab at Tenchi. Ryoko hit her hands away.

"Now, now. Come on ladies...don't fight again." Tenchi made his best attempt to stop the battle. Most of the others were hiding under the table to dodge the "vicious" name-calling.

Ryoko dropped Tenchi and both of the women stood up. They each placed one of their feet on the table and put up their fists.

"You are so rough with Lord Tenchi! Why would he what to be with _you _when he can't even eat his breakfast without you nearly braking his neck?"

"I did no such thing! You are such a lair Ayeka! I was merely hugging him and you had to go and turn the whole thing into one of your big fat royal ruckuses!"

"You are- you are so-!" Ayeka was so flustered she could barley see straight. "You are so arrogant and overly-aggressive! You are nothing but trouble to Lord Tenchi and the rest of us! Why don't you go back to wherever it is you came from and let us live our lives in peace?"

Tenchi watched as Ryoko lowered her head and stood completely still. Everyone was now peeking over the edge of the table to see what was happening. Tenchi didn't think Ayeka's comeback was anything that would have hurt Ryoko, but it obviously did. Ryoko slowly began to phase away, she looked upset. When she was barley visible, Tenchi could see that she forced out a smirk.

"Fine. It might be good for me. But Ayeka...if you only knew..." she disappeared before her sentence ended.

Everyone was quiet for a long time. Was she really gone? Was she just hiding? Tenchi stood up and looked at Ayeka. He was mad either way. He didn't want Ryoko to leave forever. He loved all of the girls for what they were, even if they were an arrogate and aggressive space pirate.

"Why Ayeka? Why did you say that to her?" he clenched his fists.

"I didn't think she would really leave Lord Tenchi." Her eyes met Tenchi's angry ones.

"Well she did." He grabbed his backpack and left the house as fast as he could. He didn't what to be there right now. He was sick of having to sit through fights.

The rest of breakfast was sad and quiet. No one knew what to think. The whole thing happened so fast. Was Ryoko really gone from their lives forever? In the past couple of years they all lived together, every else had grown to love Ryoko. Everyone else hated the fights between Ayeka and Ryoko, but they never wanted the trouble-makers to leave. No one said anything to Ayeka.

After a few hours, a house-wide search was put into action by Sasami. Everyone did their part to see if Ryoko was hiding near by so they could get things back to normal. Sasami and Ryo-ohki searched the whole house and the cave Ryoko was once sealed in. Father and Grandfather searched the vast yard of the Masaki home. Kiyone and Mihoshi had to leave, but promised to search whenever they could. Washu locked herself into her lab to do god knows what. Ayeka sat in her room, wondering why everyone cared so much about Ryoko. She couldn't figure it out. She also couldn't figure out way Tenchi had taken it so hard and yelled at her. It was Ryoko's fault too. Everyone knew that Ryoko was a bomb that always loved to go off, so why was everyone trying so hard to find her. Ryoko probably just went somewhere to cool off and would be back when she got tired or hungry.

_Later that day_

Tenchi had a hard time concentrating at school. He tried his best to convince himself that this was just a normal Ayeka vs. Ryoko fight and that everything would be back to normal in the morning. However, he still found himself calling for her on his walk home.

_"She seemed so upset when she disappeared."_ he thought to himself as he reached the front door. _"If she did go to wherever she use to live, what about that place would make her so upset?"_

Inside the house he found the rest of the girls in the living room. They couldn't find Ryoko anywhere. They were worn-out after looking for what seemed to be, a lost cause. Ayeka was the only one who wasn't tired, Tenchi could tell that she didn't help at all.

Tenchi went to bed without a word. The girls decided it was best to leave him alone, so they too, went to bed early.

_"Why am I so down about this? Ryoko has went away before in the past, but why am I so worried this time? She looked so upset. Her beautiful eyes were clouded with sadness...or fear. Why did **I** get so upset when she left? Could...could it be that I have grown to...**love** Ryoko without noticing?" _That thought continued to replay itself until he fell asleep. Did he love Ryoko?

Around 9 o'clock, Tenchi was awakened by a small voice. It was Sasami, and she was crying. Ryo-ohki was clinging to her left pigtail looking very frazzled.

"Tenchi...is it okay if I sleep in here with you? I was talking with Ayeka about what happened this morning and she got mad and yelled (sniff) at me for no reason." Tenchi wiped away her tears with his hand.

"It's okay, Sasami. And what happened today was not your fault, Ayeka just needs some time to herself." She crawled into bed next to him and snuggled up to his side.

"Do you think Ryoko is ever going to come back to us?"

"I don't know for sure, but I hope she does." He petted Ryo-ohki as she curled up on his chest.

"I miss Ryoko, the others do too, even if she's only been gone one day. She looked so hurt inside." Her eyes watered as she closed them.

It took Tenchi a long time to fall asleep.

_Three weeks later_

Tenchi woke up early one morning and walked to Ryoko's room. It was empty, just like it was every other time he looked. He walked downstairs and looked up to the rafter that Ryoko had always loved to lay on. It was bare.

"Why do I miss you so much?" He said to a Ryoko that wasn't there. "You were always fighting, spying on me when I wasn't looking, and hanging on me." He blushed at the last thought. It was true that he hated it when she was always buzzing around him, but she meant well. She did it out of the love she had for him.

Washu came out of her lab and saw him standing in the living room. She walked up to him while putting up her long hair.

"So she hasn't come back yet." She could see it in Tenchi's eyes.

"No. Washu, do you know where Ryoko went? Why was she so upset? It was like she was _afraid _of something."

"Well, if she truly did follow Ayeka's 'advice', she is either back on her home planet or in space somewhere."

"But why would that make her so sad? I thought she loved being a space pirate."

"I don't know, Tenchi. You can ask her if she ever returns." she gave him a pained look.

'IF she ever returns?' Tenchi could tell that Washu knew something, but he didn't question her anymore. Sasami and Ryo-ohki had descended the stairs to make breakfast. Tenchi went back up the stairs and stopped outside Ayeka's and Sasami's room. He could hear Ayeka moving towards the closed door. She stepped into the hallway and met Tenchi's gaze. Tenchi wasn't as mad at her anymore so he smiled and she returned it.

"Umm...good morning, Lord Tenchi." He nodded back at her and went into his room.

Ayeka went downstairs and sat on the big, red sofa.

_"Lord Tenchi does not seem to be angry anymore. Maybe he has finally figured out that it is much more pleasant here with out Ryoko." _Ayeka thought to herself. She still regretted nothing she had said to Ryoko three weeks earlier. _"Perhaps Tenchi sees how unfaithful she is to him, since she has not returned to him. I can have him all to myself now." _She blushed.

_After breakfast_

Tenchi walked around the house and checked to see if Ryoko was in any of her usual places. Disappointed at the empty rooms, he slowly walked outside. He looked around and decided to check the old cave as well.

He walked inside and down the long ramp to the dimly lit chamber. (A/N: That's all I know about the cave.) He looked around, but saw nothing. Tenchi stood in the middle of the room with his head down. As he stood there, a pair of faded feet appeared in front of his own. He looked straight ahead as a pair of yellow eyes phased into view.

"Ryoko?" He put his hands out to touch the ghost-like figure. Ryoko's form started to fall to the ground. "Oh no! Ryoko!" He still wasn't sure if she was real until he managed to pulled her into his arms. It was the real Ryoko.

She was fully visible now and Tenchi could see that she was in tough shape. She was bleeding from cuts and gashes that were all over her. Her clothes were dirty and ripped and her right cheek was puffy and purple in color. She looked up at him through her matted hair her tired eyes meeting Tenchi's. She suddenly seemed unaware of her injuries.

"Tenchi...this is where we first met." She gave him a small smile. Her eyes closed and she passed out in Tenchi's embrace.

"Ryoko." Inside, he was crying. "Did someone try to kill you?" He lifted her in his arms, scaled the ramp, and took off towards the house. It was raining now, so he ran faster to avoid giving Ryoko pneumonia.

He managed to slide open the front door and hysterically yelled for help. Sasami, Kiyone, and Mihoshi instantly rushed into the entryway after hearing Tenchi's distressed voice.

Sasami went to get Washu as soon as she saw Ryoko's beaten face. Kiyone helped Tenchi put Ryoko on the sofa since he was now shaking too hard to hold her any longer. Mihoshi fell to her knees and cried. She couldn't do much else since she was petrified at the sight of all the blood.

In only a few seconds, Washu appeared with a floating lab table. Tenchi placed her on it and Washu wheeled her into the lab.

Tenchi sat at Ryoko's side the whole time Washu tended her injuries. He sat all night in the lab, holding Ryoko's hand, just so he would be there when she woke up.

_End of chapter one_

A/N: Okay...this chapter is slow and short, but that's the way my stories tend to end up. I think there will be one or two more chapters until it's complete. Short and sweet. This story isn't going to be action packed( so look elsewhere if you love action), just very "waffy". I'm interested in what everyone thinks (all three people who are reading this sigh) so please R&R! But please, do not send me a badly misspelled review pointing out that I have bad grammar or spelled something wrong. Doing that makes both of us look stupid (yes...it's happened before). Yes, I am aware that I write very long and wordy sentences...so don't whine about it. And yes, the title of this chapter was based off the line "Oh Captain, my Captain" from the movie, The Dead Poets Society, so don't ask. In the film, it is suppose to be the way the students address and show respect to their teacher. I don't know how it got into my story...but I like the way it sounds. Ryoko tends to whisper totally random things into Tenchi's ear to show how much she loves him, so I think it fits.


	2. We Don't Have To Be Friends

Disclaimer: I don't own Tenchi...I'm just a teenage girl writing crappie fanfic. that includes him and his buddies.

**The Look In Her Beautiful Eyes**

**By: Spookukitty**

A/N: This chapter will show you the "new" Ryoko. Three weeks away from the Masaki house has taken its toll on her. Thanks to a registration problem with this web site, I actually started to write this chapter before I even got to post my first. Oh well. I just hope I can finish writing this chapter even though I don't know what people think of it yet.

**Chapter two: We Don't Have To Be Friends...**

It was now the day after Ryoko had returned and Tenchi sat motionless in his seat. He was neither tired nor hungry. The memory of the evening before had caused him to focus only on the woman he was next to. He soon found himself spilling his feelings to her unconscious body. This was the most he had been able to relax in three weeks and his mind had had enough.

"Washu gave you the best treatment on the planet, Ryoko. You should feel much better when you wake up." Tenchi smiled as he looked at her. "We missed you, but I think I missed you more than anyone. Your a part of our family and we..._I _never want you to leave...ever again." He closed his eyes. After several seconds, he soon heard a familiar voice.

"I don't intend to, Tenchi." Her voice was weak, but it was enough to make Tenchi's spirits lift.

"Ryoko, your finally awake." he beamed. He looked into her deep, yellow eyes. He could see her happiness to see him in them, but they were still clouded with pain. Without thinking he stood up and very carefully hugged her. His voice went low as he did so. "I really thought you were never going to come back this time. I was so scared."

She managed to get one of her arms around him. She struggled to talk through the tears she was holding back.

"So was I."

They stayed in their embrace for a few minutes until Ryoko started to cough.

"Oh no! I'll get you some water." Tenchi turned to go to the kitchen. Ryoko grabbed his arm.

"Please don't leave me!" she managed to gasp.

"I'll be right back. I'm just going to get you some water." He stroked her hand to reassure her. She released his arm and watched him leave. He smiled at her as he closed the door behind him.

After filling a glass full of cold water, Tenchi started back towards the lab. He was stopped halfway by Ayeka.

"Good morning, Lord Tenchi." She gave him a huge smile. "Where have you been hiding? I've been looking all over for since you never showed up at breakfast."

Tenchi could tell right away that Ayeka didn't know Ryoko was back. He lowered his voice in anger.

"Ryoko came back yesterday. She's in Washu's lab right now...and I was sitting with her."

Ayeka's eyes filled with shock for a moment. She quickly put on a fake smile and replied.

"Oh, that's wonderful! I knew she would come back after she cooled off for a while."

"She came back because she was seriously injured, Ayeka." He rushed passed Ayeka and went back into the lab. Ayeka stood in total shock. Did she hear Tenchi right? Ryoko was actually back...and hurt?

Ayeka was having mixed emotions. She felt stupid that she didn't even know that Ryoko had come back, and that she sounded like she didn't even _care_ in front of Tenchi. She felt bad that Ryoko was hurt so badly, but also figured it was Ryoko's own fault she got hurt. Her old feelings of being mad and jealous of Ryoko getting Tenchi's attention were starting to resurface.

_Several days later_

Ryoko had recovered enough that she was able to leave Washu's lab. Her cuts were healed and she looked a lot better. Her right leg was broken and in a cast, but it would heal in a few more weeks. She could phased and fly to anywhere she needed to go anyway.

Everyone (minus Ayeka) was completely thrilled to have her back. They made sure she was always as comfortable as possible. Washu even stayed out of her lab most of the day to keep her company. Ryoko was happy to be back, but she always seemed so different to everyone else. She was often just sitting quietly in the corner looking off into the abyss. She wasn't her normal loud self when she talked, in fact, she mostly just listening to conversations without talking at all. Tenchi noticed all of this, but figured it was because she was still in pain. Although, he couldn't figure out why she was so polite all of a sudden. She never use to be so charming to be around.

After lunch that day, Tenchi was sitting in the kitchen helping Sasami fix a plate that Mihoshi had accidentally dropped. There was a lot of noise coming from upstairs and just as he was getting up to see what it was, Ryoko floated down from her room in her nightdress. Tenchi stopped in the kitchen doorway and watched as she floated outside with her arms piled high with clothes.

"What is she up to?" asked Kiyone. Everyone shook their heads. Tenchi decided to follow.

Ryoko flew to a sandy area near the old cave. With a sad look in her eyes, she dropped all of the clothes into a pile on the sandy ground. Tenchi was watching from about ten feet away, and could now see that it was all of Ryoko's space pirate clothes and revealing, sexy kimonos.

Ryoko lifted her hands over the pile and shot a beam of yellow light into the center of it. Flames rose up and the clothes started to slowly burn away. Tenchi walked over and stood next to Ryoko.

"Ryoko...what are you doing?"

There was silent for a while.

"They say your clothes tell a lot about who you are." She turned and looked straight into Tenchi's gaze. Her eyes were set in a very serious stare. "I don't what to be that person anymore Tenchi." She pointed to the pile of flaming cloth.

Tenchi didn't know what to say. Why would Ryoko, the woman who prided herself in who she was, suddenly what to change? After a few minutes, he asked a question that was burning inside him for over three weeks.

"Ryoko...why do you hate the rain? He took her hands in his. Her eyes filled with tears, but she held them back.

"You were awake when I said that? ...I don't want to talk about it just yet." She put her head on his shoulder. He put his arms gently around her, minding her wounds. He changed the subject after looking at the pile of ashes that were now in front of them.

"We should get you some different clothes. You can't wear your pajamas all day now, can you?" He pointed at her nightdress. They both smiled.

"I guess I didn't think of getting any new ones before I torched mine."

Tenchi's eyes suddenly lit up. He took her hand and she levitated a few inches off the ground to follow him. He led her back into the house and up the stairs. They went to the end of the hall and he slid open the last door on the left. (A/N: I made this room up.)

It was the only room in the house that was never occupied. It was a very traditional looking room with tatami mats on the floor and old paintings hanging all over the walls. Tenchi walked over to a huge closet that covered the whole left wall, and slid the door open.

"You are welcome to use these if you wish." he said as he flipped on the light inside.

The closet was filled from end to end with the most beautiful kimonos Ryoko had ever seen. She was sure that most of them could even put Ayeka's fanciest kimonos to shame. Kimonos in beautiful patterns in every color imaginable.

"They were...my mothers'. They are old, but they're still in pretty good shape. She wasn't very big, so they should fit you just fine." He smiled and handed her a sky blue kimono with little purple and pink flowers on it.

"Are you sure it's okay that I can wear these?" She delicately traced a pink flower on the kimono. She had never felt such fine silk in her life.

"Yes." He handed her a pink obi (sash that is tied around the waist in a big bow in the back) "My mother is dead, she can't wear them anymore...but someone should. I'll leave you to change. I'll be downstairs when your done."(A/N: For those of you who don't know, kimonos can take a LONG time to put on correctly. In fact, tying an obi in an extravagant bow can take hours. Simpler ways of wrapping and tying them don't take quit as long, so for this story, Ryoko ties them very simple, like how Ayeka ties hers.)

"Thank you Tenchi." she smiled as he left the room.

Downstairs, all of the other girls were watching a very boring soap opera, so he sat at the table with his dad and grandfather. They were going through the days' mail

"Why was Ryoko setting part of the yard on fire earlier?" asked his dad.

"...She was burning her clothes. She said she wants to be a different person now."

His dad and grandfather gave him a weird look, but then figured out what Tenchi meant.

"That girls' been through a lot. I don't blame her for wanting to put her past behind her." said his grandfather as he started reading the daily paper.

"I'm letting Ryoko wear mom's old clothes, you know, since she doesn't have any. Uh, is that okay dad?"

"Yea..." his dad was too busy ogling something by the stairs to really answer.

Tenchi turned towards the stairway, sure enough, Ryoko was there. Tenchi's mouth fell open. Ryoko looked absolutely stunning. The pretty kimono enhanced all of her curves and beauty. It was as if it was made just for her. She looked like a totally different girl. The others noticed her too.

"Wow! Ryoko you look so pretty!" Sasami ran up to look closer. Ryo-ohki let out an enthusiastic meow.

No one had ever seen Ryoko so dressed up before, so it was a real shock. Even Ayeka was amazed. She practically gave herself whiplash as she turned her head to look. Her amazement soon faded away and was replaced by a smirk.

"I guess even a dirty space bum like you can look civilized if they try, Ryoko." Ayeka fumed.

Everyone was bracing themselves for a fight between princess and space pirate after Ayeka's little outburst. Tenchi tensed at the thought of someone leaving again, the yelling and the hate echoed in his mind. No punches were thrown, to his surprise. Ryoko calmly walked up to Ayeka and looked her straight in the eyes.

"You told me to leave. I left. I went back to were I came from and for weeks I had to put up with _far_ worse things then your insults, and it changed me. I've made a change for the better because _you _told meI was a bad person! I'm not the same as I was before, Ayeka. I'm not the loud, annoying bitch you once saw me as, and I don't want anymore fights. You win. We don't have to be friends...but we can at least tolerate each other." she put out her hand as a symbol of truce.

Ayeka stood still for a long time. Finally, she cupped her hands around Ryoko's hand. Ryoko's speech actually touched Ayeka's cold, jealous heart. The princesses sweet nature started to emerge.

"I'm...sorry. I just...I don't know what comes over me sometimes. I guess I haven't been very sympathetic towards you since you came back. It was my fault you left, after all." She stood up and gently gave Ryoko an honest hug. "I don't mean to be so mean all the time. It's just that, well, seeing you with Lord Tenchi so much...I get jealous."

"Yea, I know what you mean. I feel the same way whenever you are with Tenchi." The two women smiled.

Tenchi was at a loss of what to do. He was so happy. The two biggest enemies under the same roof, were becoming _friends_!

"You look really lovely in that kimono Ryoko. I'm happy you are feeling better, and happier with yourself." said Ayeka.

Smiles came from everyone in the room. Life in the Masaki house could finally go on.

_End of chapter two_

A/N: Wow! I got two reviews! (Dances around the room) That's two more than I thought I would get. Thank you again, guys! Not many people appreciate a sweet "waffy" story anymore. Everything is usually sex, blood, and cursing now a days. I try to keep my stories sweet and simple by focusing on emotion rather than action. Well, another chapter down, probably only one more to go. Can you see the change in Ryoko? I tried to show it in this chapter...but not as much as I thought I would. The next chapter will tell about Ryoko's weeks of being away. Please R&R!


	3. I Hate The Rain, Tenchi

Disclaimer: I don't own Tenchi...I'm just a teenage girl writing crappie fanfic. that includes him and his buddies.

**The Look In Her Beautiful Eyes**

**By: Spookukitty**

A/N: We're at the third chapter! Woo-hoo! Unfortunately, this is **NOT** the final chapter... sorry! This chapter took a lot longer for me to write, so I figured I'd post what I had so far and add the rest in a fourth chapter. I've been soun-godly sick for the past week, I thought I would never get passed the review mail (though I love reading review mail), let alone get to write this chapter. Thank you again to all that reviewed my story! I wouldn't have bothered writing this far if you hadn't have sent me such positive reviews. I've noticed that the people who R& reviewed my Tenchi Muyo story seem nicer and more open-minded than the ones who R& reviewed my Rurouni Kenshin fanfic. ( I don't mean to offend anyone, there are those who were very nice to me, it's just something I've noticed. If RK fans don't like the way you portray Kenshin and Kaoru...they'll throw your story back in your face faster than an angry, underpaid book critic). Anyway...back to my Tenchi reviewers. Many reviewers even thanked me for sending them thank-you e-mails. That made me **extremely** happy. I recently had a question from a reviewer that asked me what "waffy" meant. I learned it from a Rurouni Kenshin Fanfiction site (Gypsy-chan's Kenshin and Kaoru Fanfiction). From what I've_ seen_, the word "waffy" is used when explaining a story that is very sweet, sentimental, or innocent, can be very emotional, and concentrates on the loving relationship between the (two) main characters. I've also been told by a reviewer that Kiyone never appeared in the Tenchi Muyo OVA series (minus the Mihoshi Special). I'm use to the more resent Tenchi In Tokyo series, so not including Kiyone in a Tenchi story (even if she never existed in the series the story kind of takes place in) didn't feel right to me. I like Kiyone. She is a well balanced (and most normal) character and makes writing stuff about Mihoshi a lot easier. I've learned a lot about Ryoko's real past from many nice people, **so I'm going to mix Ryoko's/ Washu's pasts within the OVA and the Tenchi Universe series'.** I've decided to add some of Ryoko's real past into my story, but Tenchi will not know anything about Kagato (I always thought he was the Dr. Clay guy...now I know he's not), Ryoko's slave life (etc.), and I'm going to add a lot of stuff I made up. I don't know if this chapter will be as great as the others, but we'll see.

**Chapter 3: I Hate The Rain, Tenchi **

_About a week later_

The friendship between Ryoko and Ayeka had continued to grow. The two girls were like long-lost sisters reunited after years of being apart. Even though Ayeka and Ryoko were no longer jealous of each other, they had a serious talk about Tenchi. They would let Tenchi pick whichever girl he truly loved, and they wouldn't interrupt in that decision in any way.

The "new Ryoko" also spent a lot of time helping around the house. Everyday, she would wake up early, put on a silky kimono, and start dusting everything in sight. After that, she'd attempt to help Sasami in the kitchen. Sasami was thankful for her help and even though she could manage on her own, decided it wouldn't hurt to give Ryoko a couple small jobs. After breakfast, she would stick to anyone she made eye-contact with and help them in any way that she possibly could. No one found her annoying since there was almost always something they could use her help with. When she wasn't needed, she would sit in the living room on a floor pillow by the sliding-glass door. (A/N: I think there's one in the living room...if not, there is now!)

She could sit for hours just staring out the window. Sometimes, Tenchi would watch her from afar and wonder what she was thinking about.

_"She seems so content. It's like she's completely forgotten about whatever happened to her."_ Tenchi thought one day as he watched her from the top of the stairs. _"I have to admit, I like way she has changed, but I liked the old Ryoko as well..."_

His mind faded into the memories of the "old Ryoko". He remembered the time he accidentally released her from the cave. The way she chased him around his school...before she tried to blow it up. All the times he felt her eyes on him while he laid in bed.

_"Those were the days." _He couldn't stop a smile from crossing his face. He wasn't sure if he was being sarcastic or not. A sweat drop formed on his forehead. He chuckled.

"What's so funny, Tenchi?"

Tenchi's mind snapped back to reality after hearing Ryoko's voice. She was now sitting at the top of the stairs next to him. "Oh, uhh...I was just thinking. It's nothing."

"Your thoughts are not 'nothing' to me, Tenchi. What were you thinking about?" she smiled at him. He looked into her lustrous, yellow eyes.

Tenchi didn't quit know what to say. Would Ryoko cry or get mad if he told her he was thinking about her former space pirate lifestyle? He'd already stalled his answer too long, so she would know if he wasn't being truthful. He quickly formulated his answer in a way that wouldn't upset her.

"I was thinking of the time we first met." he looked away from her for a while, expecting to hear crying. When nothing happened, he looked back and saw that she was still smiling.

"What's the matter?" she asked.

"I was afraid I might have upset you...since it was kind of...your past."

There was a long silence. Ryoko stood up and took his hand. "Will you take a walk with me? Please?"

"Yes, of course Ryoko." He stood up and followed her down the stairs and out the sliding-glass door. They walked arm-in-arm around the lawn and soon ended up outside the old cave. After pausing at the entrance, they walked inside and down into the inner chamber. Tenchi looked at Ryoko, who was still smiling. She spoke to end the unbearable silence.

"I'm not upset Tenchi. Even though it is in my space pirate past, the first day we met is one of my most precious memories. It was right here in this disgusting cave that I first laid eyes on you." she paused, her smile faded. "I'm glad I didn't have to kill you after all."

"So am I." chuckled Tenchi, trying to lighten the mood. She looked at him, her eyes began to tear up.

"I'm sorry for everything bad I did to you back then, Tenchi." She took a tissue out of the sleeve of her purple kimono and wiped her falling tears away. Tenchi got closer to her and put an arm around her.

"You don't have to apologize. All of that is behind us now." Their eyes locked and they smiled at each other.

They stood still and silent for a long time.

Ryoko put her head on his left shoulder and she started to quietly cry. Tenchi put his other arm around her and held her close.

"I made you cry again..." He put a hand on the back of her head, slowly stroking her hair. She shook her head.

"No. It's just me." She focused her eyes on his. "I'm really happy right now. I feel so at ease with you, Tenchi." she smiled.

Tenchi wiped away her tears. _"She's so sweet." _he thought to himself. "I'm glad. I feel the same way right now." he said with a warm smile.

A look of passion appeared in Ryoko's eyes. Tenchi's gazed at her, she looked so radiant. Ryoko moved her face closer to his, as if she was about to kiss him.

Without warning, the quiet cave was flooded with Mihoshi's and Kiyone's screaming. There was a loud thud at the entrance of the chamber, where the two galaxy police slammed to the ground. In their attempt to watch Ryoko and Tenchi gaze at each other from the top of the ramp, they slipped.

"How long were you two there!" asked Tenchi very surprised (and slightly embarrassed). He walk over and helped them up. Mihoshi spoke up, rubbing the sore spot on her butt, which she landed on.

"Oh, not long." She blushed.

Kiyone brushed her hair out of her face. "Sasami sent us to find you two. It's almost dinner time and you guys had been missing for a while. We eventually came in here and we...didn't want to disturb you."

"I guess we failed at that part...hehe." laughed Mihoshi as she waved Ryoko towards the exit.

"Don't worry Tenchi, we were only here a few seconds before we crashed in." said Kiyone, reassuring Tenchi that she didn't hear any of their private conversation.

They all left the cave to go to dinner. Sasami was jumping on the back porch and ushered them to the table.

"Sorry we took so long getting here Sasami." said Ryoko, slightly bummed.

"Aw, that's all right. I just wanted you two to get here so you wouldn't lose your shares of the food. So, where did you two go on your walk anyway?"

Ryoko and Tenchi both answered with small smiles. "The cave".

Washu smirked and cupped a hand on Ryoko's left cheek. She didn't say anything, she just smiled at her daughter. Ryoko blushed wildly. Washu removed her hand and started eating again.

The rest of dinnertime was uneventful.

_Early the next morning, Ryoko's room_

Ryoko's dream was interrupted by something unknown to her. She had been dreaming that she was once again in the cave with Tenchi. She was gazing into his eyes and spoke to him: _"Tenchi...will you stay with me forever?"_

He drew her closer, gazing deeper into her golden eyes. He began to speak to her, but no words could be heard. Tenchi's warm voice was drowned out by what Ryoko thought was a fizzing noise. The cave disappeared from around her and in an instant, awoke in her bedroom.

She looked around her room as her heart-rate slowed and returned to normal. She could still hear the fizzing noise from her dream. It didn't take her long to figure out what it was. It was raining. She pulled the covers over her head.

"Pull yourself together Ryoko. It's just a little rainstorm." she muttered to herself. She put her hand over her heart in an attempt to muffle the loud pounding of her heart.

A gigantic crack of thunder sent Ryoko flying (literally) out of bed. She yelled and flew out of her bedroom. She quickly made her way to Tenchi's room and flung herself into his bed.

"Ahhhhh! What the hell!" He looked under the covers to see Ryoko clinging to him. "Ryoko? What's the matter? Are you okay?" He peeled her off of him long enough for them to sit up. "What's wrong Ryoko?"

She looked at him, her eyes looked shadowed. She put her head on his arm. "I hate the rain, Tenchi."

Tenchi listened for a moment and finally noticed that it was indeed, raining. He understood that she was scared. He laid her down next to him and pulled her close.

"It's okay, Ryoko. Nothing bad is going to happen to you. I'm here for you." He smiled and she relaxed. She snuggled up to him and closed her eyes. Tenchi waited until she was completely asleep before going back to sleep himself.

_Later that day_

Even though it was raining, almost everybody had left the house. Tenchi's dad had an architect convention and Tenchi's grandfather had went too. Ayeka and Sasami went shopping in town, Mihoshi and Kiyone were called to Head Quarters, and Washu was tucked away in her lab (which is technically not in the house).

Tenchi, Ryoko, and Ryo-ohki were in the living room. Tenchi sat on the sofa, watching Ryoko. Ryoko sat in her spot by the sliding-glass door, Ryo-ohki was asleep in her lap. She was looking out into the yard with a faraway stare. She suddenly felt his eyes on her. She turned to him.

"Is there anything you need, Tenchi?"

"Oh...no, I don't need anything. Thanks for asking though." He smiled at her. He randomly picked up a magazine and pretending to read it.

Ryoko looked back to the yard and gently rubbed Ryo-ohki's ears. Tenchi looked over the top of the magazine. He eyed the lovely kimono she was wearing. It was white at the top and slowly changed to yellow at the bottom and the ends of the long sleeves. The matching obi was yellow and changed to white at the ends. Tenchi remembered how his mother would always wear it in the summer. She looked stunning in it, but Tenchi thought it looked _slightly_ more fitting on Ryoko, since the yellow parts of the cloth matched her eyes.

After several minutes, Ryoko shifted on her pillow and started to get up. Ryo-ohki woke up and let out a meow of protest. She quickly hopped into Tenchi's lap to continued her cabbit-nap.

Ryoko walked towards the kitchen. She made a detour at Washu's lab and went inside. Tenchi heard a small "poof" noise and Ryoko soon reappeared in the doorway. A huge wall of smoke billowed into the room from behind her and she brushed away spots of soot from her kimono. Without skipping a beat, she proceeded into the kitchen and returned with two glasses orange juice. Tenchi watched over his magazine as she reentered and exited the lab, minus one glass of juice. She walked up to Tenchi and offered him the remaining glass. He put down the magazine and took the juice from her.

"Thank you Ryoko." Even though he wasn't thirsty, he sipped from the glass. "Oh Ryoko, you have some soot on your face." He hesitated for a moment, but then proceeded to wiped it off for her.

She smiled and thanked him. She ruffled her hair to get rid of the remaining soot.

"Washu was doing an experiment when I asked her if she wanted anything to drink. Apparently, accidentally adding too much of a green liquid to a pink liquid causes an explosion." she chuckled.

They shared a laugh.

Ryo-ohki shifted in Tenchi's lap. "Meya miyow...riyow..." she said in her sleep. Tenchi rubbed her fuzzy chin with his finger. She grabbed at his finger and started to nibble on it.

"Silly little girl. She even _dreams_ about eating carrots." Tenchi said as he pulled his finger away.

Ryoko petted Ryo-ohki's back.

"Mriy...ow yaow..." said the groggy cabbit as she turned over and stretched in Tenchi's lap. Tenchi gently rubbed her belly.

"Speaking of dreams...did you have a bad dream or something this morning, Ryoko?"

Ryoko smiled. "No. I was having a wonderful dream. The rain is what woke me up."

Tenchi looked into Ryoko eyes. After a long pause, he continued. "Why are you afraid of the rain?"

Ryoko didn't answer. She grasped at the part of the kimono above her knees and looked down at Ryo-ohki.

Tenchi felt bad. He didn't mean to keep pushing the same question at her, he just really wanted to know why an ex-space pirate would fear something as innocent as the rain. He placed a hand on hers.

"I'm sorry if I upset you. I just want you to know that you can tell me anything, Ryoko. I don't want you to bottle up your problems or bad memories. I care about you too much to see you suffer like this."

Ryoko looked up at Tenchi. His eyes were filled with compassion.

_"He cares about me. He **truly** cares about me. Oh Tenchi..." _She felt like crying tears of joy, but held them back. She would remain strong and tell her story. "The rain reminds me of every horrible thing in my past. A long time ago, I was a slave." she cupped her hands around Tenchi's.

"A slave? To who?" screeched Tenchi.

"I don't want to say his name..." her eyes filled with pain.

"I understand, Ryoko." Tenchi let her continue.

"It seems like every time I was on a planet during my 'slave days', it was raining. A looming, spiritless, and depressing rain that was constantly trying to make my pathetic life worse."

"So rain reminds you of when you were a slave." Tenchi said quietly.

"Yes." Ryoko looked out at the rain that was still falling outside.

"How did you become a slave in the first place?"

"You know I was created by Washu, right?"

"Yeah, she's sort of your mother. You told me you were made in a test tube." he nodded.

(A/N: Sorry! Just a reminder that I am **mixing** **together bits of the two versions **of Washu's and Ryoko's pasts from the **OVA and the Tenchi Universe series' as well as adding some of my own things.** I don't want to confuse anyone, so I'm saying it again. Ask if you still have questions later.)

"Well, at the time I was created, Washu was working with him or...somthing, I don't remember...at one point, Washu was even his teacher. Washu never really trusted him, but she still left me behind." She paused and Tenchi offered her his orange juice.

"She left you behind?" eh asked as she finish drinking.

"She was offered a job at some science academy, I wasn't fully developed yet, so she had no choice but to leave me. After she left, that bastard turned evil. As soon as I was able to stay stable in open air, he turned his evil on me... After years of being his precious, little slave girl, I finally had enough! I took my chance at freedom when I saw it and ran like hell!" She quickly collected herself after she realized she had been yelling. She then wipped away the tears that were forming in her eyes.

Tenchi gave her more juice so she could clear her throat.

"If this is too hard for you...we can stop here. You don't need to tell me anymore about that part of your past." Tenchi said tenderly. He put a hand to her cheek. "Come to me whenever you feel like telling about what happened after you left us."

"Okay. Thank you for listening to me, Tenchi. I feel better already." She managed a small smile.

"I'm glad. Just come to me whenever you are ready, or if you need me for anything." He smiled warmly.

"I will. I'm going to go take a nap." She gathered Ryo-ohki from Tenchi's lap and stood up. Tenchi stood up next to her.

He could see the pain looming inside Ryoko's eyes. It wasn't as bad as it was before, but it was still there. He moved closer to her and gently kissed her forehead.

"Tenchi..." she said in a loving voice. He move closer still and they shared a passionate hug.

Ryo-ohki meowed happily as she woke up in the center of a hug. Tenchi and Ryoko giggled at the cute Ryo-ohki. Tenchi released Ryoko and she bowed to him before going upstairs. He watched her disappear and walked to the base of the stairs. He thought hard about what Ryoko told him.

As he stood there, Washu exited the lab and saw him.

"Hey Tenchi. How's it goin'?" said the little soot-covered scientist. She was obviously too busy redoing her experiment to bother brushing it off.

"Uh..." He stared at the stair railing.

"Hmm. She told you something, didn't she."

"How do you always know?" he grinned.

"I'm a genius, I can't help it." she said in her child-like voice.

The mode of the conversation went serious.

"You knew all about the horrible place Ryoko came from. You knew about Ryoko's life with...that _guy _and what he did to her, and you didn't tell me?" Tenchi started to slowly pace in front of her.

"Yes. I knew." She sat down on the stairs. "And the "guy" you are referring to is named, Kagato. I regret ever leaving Ryoko with that heartless bastard. He was a difficult guy to get along with, but he wasn't always evil."

"Ryoko told me about that...but Washu, she could have been killed! Why didn't _you_ tell me? We could have helped her."

"Relax Tenchi. We don't know for sure that she went back to Kagato. Ryoko could have gone anywhere after her fight with Ayeka, besides, we would never be able to defeat that maniac no matter how hard we tried."

Tenchi sat on the step next to Washu. "Yeah, you're right. I still wish I could have protected her." Tenchi covered his face with his hands. Washu put a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't beat yourself up over it, Tenchi. All you need to do now is be there for Ryoko when she needs you."

Tenchi looked at Washu. She was right. Just like Ryoko, he had to stop dwelling on what couldn't be prevented in the past.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you Washu."

"That's all right." She stood up and looked down at herself. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to take a shower."

_End of chapter three_

A/N: Sorry I wasn't able to finish the story in this chapter. I know I said at the end of chapter two I was going to focus on the weeks Ryoko was away...but I didn't get that far. This chapter isn't much longer than the others, but it took way longer to write. Summer colds suck! My favorite part of this chapter is Ryo-ohki's tiny part. Ryo-ohki is so cute! She makes me smile and she reminds me of my cat.

I was surprised to see that my Hit Counter for this story is almost to 200! I know it's probably not that big of a deal and that not everyone who clicked on my story may have liked it and/or actually read it, but nearly 200 people willingly or accidentally clicking on it is enough to impress me. Tell me what you think! I already sort of have an idea of what I'm going to write, but is there anything you think I should add to my last chapter (I think/hope it's the last)? I'm open to ideas (just no lemon scenes!). If I like your idea(s), I'll think of a way to put them in. Thanx everyone!


	4. You Didn't Break That Promise

Disclaimer: I don't own Tenchi...I'm just a teenage girl writing crappie fanfic. that includes him and his buddies.

**The Look In Her Beautiful Eyes**

**By: Spookukitty**

A/N: Hello again! Sorry this update took so long, I went on a family vacation a little while after posting chapter three (woooo) and then I got writer's block (gaaaaah). Thanks again to everyone who reviewed! You have all been so nice! hugs her computer. The last chapter wasn't as great as I originally envisioned it, but I'll get over it, people seemed to like it anyway. Those who have truly liked the story so far, probably won't mind too much. O.o I hope...

Also, thank you to everyone who pointed things out that are "wrong". I will repeat myself, I am taking things from the first two Tenchi series' and adding my own things to that. Basically, things I DO'NT add (from the shows) didn't happen. (Example: A reviewer said that if Washu has already set up her lab in Tenchi's house, Kagato is already dead.) Well, in this story, I didn't add the part where Washu is put into "cold storage" by Kagato, so in this story it never happened and Kagato isn't dead.) So if I didn't write about it, it didn't happen...get it? E-mail me if you don't. I don't what anyone to be confused!

And lastly, Thank you Cyberimp6 who sent me ideas for my story. I've listed the ideas you pitched at the end of the chapter. This chapter turned out being mostly about Tenchi and Ayeka (hehe). Since I didn't get many ideas...I worked off the very few I did get. It's a nice filler chapter that will give this story a short change of pace and help the next chapter unfold faster. I'm hoping that some more people will send me ideas for my "Ryoko's weeks away" section. Sorry I didn't get to that part in this chapter! Please don't hate me!

**Chapter 4: You Didn't Break That Promise**

_A few days later_

It was a warm and sunny morning at the Masaki household, and Tenchi was sitting on the back porch with Sasami and Ryo-ohki. They were watching Ayeka and Ryoko, who where walking arm-in-arm around the backyard under Ayeka's parasol. The two girls were talking and frequently broke into fits of laughter. Tenchi didn't know what could be so funny, but Sasami had a pretty good idea that they were talking about Tenchi.

"I'm so glad they decided to finally become friends." said Sasami with a happy sigh. "They seem so happy now, talking and smiling together."

"Yeah." Tenchi answered slowly. He was listening to Sasami, but his mind was more focused on the other girls. Ayeka and Ryoko looked so beautiful in the morning sun, he couldn't take his eyes off them.

Just then, Ryoko and Ayeka ran to Tenchi as a Galaxy Police spaceship landed with a thunderous splash in the nearby lake. Kiyone's yelling could be heard as she and Mihoshi swam towards shore.

"Mihoshi, you idiot! You told me that we had plenty of fuel before we left HQ! Why didn't you tell me we were already out!" Kiyone grabbed Mihoshi violently by the jacket as they reached land.

"But I did, Kiyone. We had plenty of fuel to reach Tenchi's house, but you were screaming too loud as we crashed to hear me say we were out." responded the bubbly blonde with a giggle.

Kiyone sighed deeply and slumped to the house. "Hey Sasami, is there any breakfast left?"

I'm afraid there isn't, but I can make you anything you would like." she jumped to her feet.

The two wet galaxy police followed Sasami into the house. Ryoko followed close behind.

"Hey Sasami, can I help you?" she asked attentively.

"Sure Ryoko. I'd love to have your help." Sasami smiled and gave Ryoko a frying pan. "You can make the scrabbled eggs."

"Okay." She smiled and turned on the burner.

Ayeka and Tenchi were still on the back porch. After several minutes, Tenchi stood up and slid the door closed. He turned to Ayeka.

"Well, I have to go to town now. I need to buy a new garden rake so I can weed the carrot field later."

"Carrot field?" asked Ayeka. The Masaki's had a few fields of various vegetables, but Ayeka didn't know they had a carrot field as well.

"I planted a small field of carrots for Ryo-ohki a while ago, and it needs weeding. The rake I use on the other vegetable fields is too big." Tenchi stepped off the porch and started walking away.

"Lord Tenchi." Ayeka said quietly.

Tenchi stopped and turned to her. "Yes?"

"May I go with you, Lord Tenchi?" she asked him hopefully, clasping her hands together behind her.

"Sure, if you think you can make the walk there." he smiled.

Ayeka smiled and slid open the door of the house. Tenchi heard her say something to Ryoko inside, then she picked up her parasol and hurried over to Tenchi. They started the walk to town.

A little ways away from the house Tenchi asked Ayeka what she had said.

"Oh, I asked Ryoko if she wanted to go with us to town, Lord Tenchi. She declined and told us to have a good time."

"Would she have gotten angry or jealous about you and I leaving together, if you had not asked her if she wanted to come too?" Tenchi asked seriously.

Ayeka knew what he meant. She smiled at him.

"No, I just asked her if she wanted to come. She wanted to stay and help Sasami wash clothes later." She turned to Tenchi. "We use to fight so we could make each other jealous. Ryoko and I are friends now. We have no need to fight or get jealous about anything...even you, Lord Tenchi." She blushed and turned away from him.

Tenchi felt relieved and smiled. "I'm glad you and Ryoko became friends."

Ayeka nodded. "I am too."

_About twenty-five minutes later, In town_

Tenchi went into the tool store while Ayeka sat on a bench outside.

"Ohhhh! My feet are killing me! Wearing sandals on long journey like this is not the smartest thing I've ever done." She rubbed her sore feet as she waited for Tenchi to come out.

Tenchi soon emerged from the store carrying a rake, with a smaller head, covered in brown paper.

"Miss Ayeka, do your feet hurt a lot?"

"Just a little bit." she lied.

"I forgot to tell you to wear real shoes. We can sit here for a while." He sat down feeling guilty.

"That's all right. Hey, why don't we go get some ice cream." Ayeka pointed to a cart selling ice cream on the other side of the street.

"That sounds good to me. I'll get us some." Tenchi smiled.

Tenchi bought a cone of chocolate ice cream for each of them and suggested eating them in the park up the road. Ayeka was able to put her sore feet into a shallow fountain when they got there.

They spent a long time talking about completely random things, before coming to the topic of their Juraian heritage. This of course, made Tenchi feel awkward when Ayeka asked him if he would someday be the ruler.

"I don't know, Miss Ayeka. It would be strange to rule a planet I haven't really lived on. Besides, I'd have to get married and that could be an even bigger decision and, well, you know."

Of course, Tenchi was referring to his dilemma of choosing a girl.

Ayeka leaned closer to Tenchi, her eyes shining. "Being that you are a prince of Jurai, Lord Tenchi, you are not limited to marrying only one woman."

Tenchi blushed wildly. Ayeka could tell he was not crazy about that idea. She giggled at him and he smiled back.

There was a long silence as Tenchi looked at Ayeka. She looked so pretty in the sunlight, just like she did earlier that morning.

"Well, did you want to head back home?" he finally asked.

"Actually...I was hoping we could spend some more time here...with each other." As soon as she said that, a sad look appeared. "Never mind, Lord Tenchi. We probably should go home."

"What's wrong Miss Ayeka?"

"Nothing."

Tenchi smiled and tried to lighten the mood. "Well, we could stay here in town a few more hours. It would make the trip here more worth it." Tenchi stood up and extended a hand to Ayeka. "I would also love to spend time with you, Miss Ayeka."

_"He'd LOVE to spend time with me?" _Ayeka repeated in her head. She had waited so long for the day Tenchi would show her attention like this. She blushed and took Tenchi's hand.

"Hmm. I know! Lets go to that old market place down the street. They sell _everything_ there. Would you like to go, Miss Ayeka?"

Ayeka spoke happily threw her blushing cheeks. "I'd love to."

_Two hours later_

After a quick lunch in town, Tenchi and Ayeka walked towards home. Though they only bought a few small treasures for themselves and the rest of the gang, they were very pleased with the day. It was like they had been on an unofficial date.

Ayeka gazed at Tenchi as they walked. She shaded him from the afternoon sun with her parasol (also, so she could walk close by his side).

_"He has been so nice to me lately. Maybe he is starting to like me the way I like him_..." She narrowed the gap between them slightly. Tenchi looked at her.

"What are you thinking about, Miss Ayeka?" he asked after seeing the faraway look in her eyes.

"Oh, just about today."

"Yeah. Me too." He smiled "I'm glad you came with me today, it was nice spending time with you. I've been with Ryoko so much, I hope you don't think I've been ignoring you."

"No." The same sad look appeared on her face again

"What's wrong? Are you mad at me?" He put a hand on her shoulder.

Ayeka erased her sad face and smiled at Tenchi. "I could never be mad at you Lord Tenchi. I just feel sort of guilty that I'm...weaseling myself closer to you."

"What do you mean?" Tenchi was confused "Does it have something to do with Ryoko?"

"We had a very serious talk a while back. It was about you, Lord Tenchi. We promised that we would let you pick the girl you truly love with all of your heart. We said we would not interfere with that decision in any way...and here I am...tagging along behind you like a puppy all day, getting all of your attention." She looked down at her feet.

Tenchi was quiet for a while. The last thing he wanted to do was make Ayeka feel bad about something that was really not a big deal. He took her arm in his and smiled.

"You didn't break that promise you made. If I'm ever going to make such a big decision, I'd need to get to know all the girls I must choose from. The best way to get to know someone, is to spend time with them. Today, I feel I have gotten to know you a lot more, Miss Ayeka."

Ayeka blushed. "Thank you, Lord Tenchi."

"I really enjoyed our day together. Maybe we can do this again sometime?" Tenchi smiled at her.

"I would love that."

They soon reached the yard of the Masaki house. Tenchi put his rake against the outside wall and opened the front door, allowing Ayeka to enter. Most of the gang was in the living room. Everyone turned to look at Tenchi and Ayeka as they walked in the room.

"Tenchi! Ayeka! You're back" Sasami sang.

Tenchi passed out the little gifts that he and Ayeka had bought earlier.

Ryoko's eyes lit up when Tenchi put an antique gold locket around her neck. "Thank you so much, Tenchi." She gazed at the glittering trinket with affection.

_End of chapter 4_

A/N: I thought I would never finish this chapter...I've had so many things going on lately. Ryoko didn't make much of an appearance in this chapter (oops), Ayeka sort of stole the spotlight...and Tenchi. But don't worry Ryoko fans, Tenchi hasn't forgotten about her! This all happens for a reason, so just relax. In fact, this chapter was based off of an idea by Cyberimp6. Cyberimp6 sent me the idea of Ayeka and Tenchi going out on a 'date', as well as suggesting that Ayeka bring up the fact that Tenchi can marry more than one woman. This idea of Tenchi spending time with Ayeka is going to help my story along. You'll see! Thank you again! I don't know if Ayeka's day with Tenchi was really a date, but I guess it could be if you think of how they interacted with each other. I promise I will get back to Ryoko in the next chapter, so don't worry. If you have any ideas about stuff I could add to my next chapter about Ryoko and her weeks away, send me an e-mail. If I like your idea(s) I will happily add them into the story. Even a simple idea would be nice and might be a key factor in the story, like Cyberimp's idea!


	5. You Were Always There For Me, My Tenchi

Disclaimer: I don't own Tenchi...I'm just a teenage girl writing crappie fanfic. that includes him and his buddies.

**The Look In Her Beautiful Eyes**

**By: Spookukitty**

A/N: Hello again! Before I say anything more...I'm sorry chapter 4 wasn't what everyone wanted, but come on people, it has an effect on this chapter. And to clear the confusion, this is not an Ay/Ten/Ry story. It is a Tenchi/Ryoko story, it's just not there yet. In fact, the beginning of this chapter may upset the Ryoko/ Tenchi pairing fans, but don't freak out and stop reading! Everything falls into place eventually. If you have any other questions about my story please feel free to e-mail me at: I love answering questions! If this chapter seems to be badly written, it is because I have another damn summer cold (sigh). I may be too 'out of it' to catch any mistakes, so please don't throw things at me. Ah yes, for the beginning of this chapter I wrote A LOT about Ryoko's locket...but it's sweet. A nice waffy Ryoko and Tenchi moment. Oh yeah, Ryoko's weeks away may not be as 'horrible' as the previous chapters seemed to make them, but I'm trying to make everything as powerful as I can. And I thought this story would only be two or three chapters long...oh well, anyway, on to chapter 5! Wooo!

**Chapter 5: You Were Always There For Me, My Tenchi...**

_The next morning_

Tenchi woke up suddenly in his dark room. He rolled over and looked at his clock. It was only 5:36.

He turned onto his back and closed his eyes. "Sleeeeep..."

He tried to go back to sleep, but he just couldn't. He started thinking about the day before. He had spent all that time with Ayeka...and he enjoyed it. The more he thought about it, the more he started to think about Ayeka.

"She was so happy...being with me." he whispered. "It wouldn't hurt to spend more time with her..."

He thought about what he had said.

"...But what about Ryoko?"

_Meanwhile, downstairs_

Ryoko sat in front of the sliding glass door in the empty living room. She had woken up earlier than usual to finish all her dusting before anyone else was awake. She wanted a quiet time to be by herself.

She looked out the glass door, but saw something shiny reflecting back at her. She touched the shiny reflection on the window and smiled. She moved her hand from the glass to the front of her pink kimono. Snuggling in the pink fabric that crossed over her chest, was the golden locket Tenchi had given her the day before. She cupped it in her hands and looked at it adoringly. The locket was oval and was about an inch long, so it covered a great amount of her palm. Though the antique locket was a bit dirty, the engravings on the front could still be seen. Around the oval face of the locket, along the edge, were the words "A precious memory I keep over my heart" written in cursive English. In the center of the locket was a fancy, cursive letter R.

"R for Ryoko." she giggled to herself.

She pulled a little handkerchief out of her sleeve and gently cleaned her golden trinket. After a few minutes, it was clean. Other than having a few little scuffs, it looked and shined like new.

_"I haven't tried opening it yet..." _she thought as she turned it over in her hand.

She gripped the locket with her fingers and put her thumbnails into the tiny crack along the side. Ryoko pulled at the two parts of the locket gently. It wouldn't open. She dug her thumbnails in deeper and pulled a little harder. It still refused to open.

"Hmm... you are indeed my toughest opponent yet." she smiled as she pulled a little harder at the locket.

Just then, Tenchi came down the stairs to get an early morning drink from the kitchen. He noticed Ryoko and her strange behavior and went over to her. He sat on the floor in front of her and watched her cup her hands around her necklace. She looked at him with sad eyes as she showed him.

"It won't open Tenchi..." She looked crushed.

Tenchi tried his luck at opening the locket. He too, failed.

"Hmm. Let me try something different." Tenchi said as he got up. He went into the kitchen and came out with a glass of orange juice and a small knife. He gulped down some of the juice and sat back down in front of Ryoko.

Ryoko looked at the knife and tightly clutched her necklace to her chest.

"What are you going to do!"

"Relax. I'm not going to break it. I'm just going to see if I can pry it open." He smiled at Ryoko and held out his empty hand.

Ryoko slipped the locket off over her head and put it in Tenchi's hand.

"All right you sly little devil..." he smiled and held up the knife dramatically, "now we're going to show you who's boss."

Ryoko couldn't help but giggle. She watched Tenchi as he slid the tip and part of the sharp slide of the knife into the tiny crack. He gently pushed the knife handle to the side. Nothing happened. He worked the tip of the knife in a little farther and pushed again. Tenchi pried a little harder until he heard a small click. Ryoko's eyes lit up as Tenchi handed her necklace back.

"It was just being stubborn." he said with a smile as he put down the knife.

Ryoko was now able to open the golden locket very easily. She gazed at herself through a tiny mirror, that was clouded by age, in the left side of the locket. In the right side was an old, black and white picture of a small Japanese boy. The picture looked like it was taken in the early 1900's or possibly earlier than that. Tenchi scooted closer to Ryoko to get a better view. The little boy, that looked like he was about six or seven, had a big smile and his eyes were filled with happiness. His short, black hair was combed and parted neatly over to the right. He was wearing a white, short sleeved dress-shirt with a slightly gray colored sweater-vest over it. He was also wearing a cute, dark colored bow-tie. He had on dark colored shorts and socks, and very shiny black shoes. He was sitting sideways on a small wooden chair; his left arm on top of the back of the chair.

Ryoko and Tenchi smiled at the precious little boy. Tenchi took the necklace in his hand. "Whoever use to own this old locket must have really loved that little boy." he said.

"Yeah. He kind of reminds me of you, Tenchi." Ryoko smiled at him and giggled. Tenchi blushed and smiled too. Ryoko closed the shimmering necklace and let it tuck itself back into her pink kimono. "Thank you for fixing it Tenchi. This little thing is a really nice gift."

"Ah, you're welcome Ryoko. Ayeka and I were walking through all the things at the old market yesterday. I saw it on a table covered with other old jewelry and I knew you would like it."

Tenchi moved over and put his back against the glass door. Ryoko shifted herself on her floor pillow to face him. She smiled at him.

"Did you two have fun yesterday?"

Tenchi didn't know what he should say at first. He sat very still while he thought about it. He and Ayeka had a wonderful day together and they enjoyed getting to know each other. Should he tell the truth? ...That he felt that he was starting to go in Ayeka's direction.

He then remembered what Ayeka said about Ryoko and herself not being jealous of each other anymore. Yet, he would just say the day was great.

"Yeah. We had a lot of fun in town yesterday." He still wasn't sure if Ryoko would snap if he said anything more (she _was_ Ryoko after all), so he forced his panic behind a smile. Ryoko returned an even bigger smile.

"I'm glad. It is good that you spent time with Ayeka. She was so happy when you two came back. She told me that she had gotten to know you better...and that she loves you even more now." she smiled slyly.

Tenchi blushed wildly and stared at his feet as she leaned in towards him.

"She told you that?" He stared at Ryoko with slight amazement. Ryoko's smile disappeared for a moment. After a while, a shy smile formed.

"Ayeka and I have always loved you Tenchi." Ryoko's eyes were flooded with a look of pure fondness.

"Ryoko..."

Ryoko could read the look in his eyes. She could tell Tenchi had started to see Ayeka in a more powerful light than he saw herself.

"Don't worry Tenchi. If you have feelings for Ayeka, go to her. I will not feel any different about you than I always have." She put a hand on his shoulder and stood up.

"Wait Ryoko." He stood up to. "I'm not sure if I have feelings for Ayeka yet. I do feel closer to her, but I don't know if one day together really means anything."

Ryoko only looked at him with her look of fondness. She then turned and walk towards the stairs. "Sometimes, feelings can come upon you quickly. Don't worry about what you think Tenchi. This may sound stupid, but...follow your heart. Go to her." she put her hands around her golden locket and walked up the stairs.

As Ryoko reached her bedroom door, Ayeka came out from her room across the hall. Ryoko didn't see her, but Ayeka could see tears rolling down Ryoko's cheeks.

Ryoko slid her door closed and sat in the corner by her window. She closed the curtains and quietly sobbed into her hands. She just did the hardest thing she had ever had to do in her life. She gave up her chances of ever being with Tenchi. The worse thing about it was, she didn't know why. Sure Ayeka was her best friend and she had that promise, but she loved Tenchi more than anything.

"Tenchi, you are more precious to me than a silly promise, and yet, I chose the promise instead of being with you..." she sobbed even harder, but tried not to be loud. "Without you, I'm all alone."

On the other side of the door, Ayeka stood frozen with her ear against the door.

_"Ryoko? What is she talking about?" _Ayeka thought as she stood there. She figured it would be best to leave Ryoko to let out her sadness and walked down the stairs.

Ayeka forgot about Ryoko when she saw Tenchi in the kitchen.

"Good morning, Miss Ayeka." he smiled.

"Good morning, Lord Tenchi. You needed an early morning drink as well?"

"Yeah, and I helped Ryoko open the locket I gave her yesterday."

"Ah yes, the one from the market. I had a lot of fun yesterday Lord Tenchi."

Tenchi nodded. "Me too. I really enjoyed being with you Miss Ayeka."

Just then, Tenchi remembered what Ryoko had said. He figured he would tell Ayeka his sudden feelings about her. He had thought about it very hard in the short time he was alone.

"Miss Ayeka, I have something I want to tell you." he looked at his feet for a moment before looking Ayeka in the eyes. Ayeka walked a bit closer to him.

"...Yes?" she could feel the moment coming.

"I know it's very sudden...but I've been thinking about it since our day together. Yesterday might not have been the most romantic day, but I think...I think I'm starting to fall in love with you."

They both stood still and silent for a long time. Ayeka let a tear fall from her eye.

"Oh, Lord Tenchi. I have felt love for you for a long time. I always hoped that we could someday be together." she took his hand in hers.

"Ryoko gave me the courage to tell you how I felt." he smiled a little. "She was very insistent that I tell you my feelings."

Ayeka then thought about Ryoko. Only minutes ago, she heard Ryoko crying over Tenchi. It was now, that she realized why she was crying.

_"Tenchi, you are more precious to me than a silly promise, and yet, I chose the promise instead of being with you... Without you, I'm all alone." _echoed in Ayeka's ears.

Ayeka stepped away from Tenchi with her head down. _"Oh Ryoko. You kept your word about letting Tenchi pick his girl, you even helped him find his courage, but why? Would you have done so if you were your old self as well? _

"Miss Ayeka? What's wrong?"

"Oh Lord Tenchi! I do not deserve you!" she cried.

"What do you mean?" Tenchi was confused at Ayeka's sudden change of heart.

"As I said, Lord Tenchi, I do not deserve to have you."

"Why? What's wrong?"

"I heard Ryoko crying up in her room before I came downstairs. I heard her say that you are the most precious thing to her...yet she gave you to me. Perhaps she loves you more than I love you by doing that. "

"Why do you feel you don't deserve to have me? Ryoko told me to tell you. I told you my feelings and suddenly you are pushing me away. Why?"

Ayeka spoke calmly and very serious. "I am a crowned princess of Jurai. I am rich and have a big, wonderful family. I have everything I could possibly ever want. Unless you count Washu, Ryoko has nothing. The only thing she has ever wanted, is you Tenchi. Without you, she has nothing else in the universe." Ayeka stood up and looked very seriously at Tenchi. "Lord Tenchi, you need to go to Ryoko! She NEEDS you!"

Tenchi was hit with the sudden realization that Ayeka was right.

"I understand, Miss Ayeka. Since Ryoko came back, I was unsure how I could help her. I had feelings for her for a long time, even before she left, but I put them aside when I found out that I also had feelings for you. ...You are a very dear friend to do this for Ryoko." he took Ayeka's hands in his.

"But I'm also the one who made her leave in the first place. I still feel horrible about that. I can't have you after I did that to Ryoko."

"Ryoko claims to be a better person now. Don't worry about that, Miss Ayeka."

Silence.

"Go. Ryoko is having a horrible morning. She needs to be loved. She needs to feel YOUR love, Lord Tenchi." Ayeka pulled her hands away.

"Thank you for being a caring friend, Miss Ayeka." Tenchi bowed to her and went upstairs. Ayeka felt relieved and happy, even though she gave up the love of her life. She felt good that she did the right thing.

Tenchi stood a few steps away from Ryoko's bedroom door thinking about everything that just happened. After everything that Ayeka had said, he was sure he could be just friends with Ayeka and love Ryoko. Ryoko needed him and he _did_ like her after all. He walked over and gently knocked on the door and called Ryoko's name. When there was no answer, he slowly went inside.

The room was very dark since the curtains were closed. Tenchi let his eyes adjust for a minute and couldn't find Ryoko at first. He tip-toed farther into the room and soon found Ryoko seated in the corner. She was leaning against the wall, fast asleep.

_"Poor girl." _ he thought as he wiped off her tear-streaked face with his hands.

Tenchi gently picked Ryoko up and slowly carried her to his room. He placed her in his bed and smiled as he covered her up. After gazing at her a while longer, he left the room.

_About 4 hours later_

After waking up in Tenchi's bed, Ryoko slowly walked downstairs. She was a bit confused, since she remembered being in her own room before she fell asleep.

Ayeka and Sasami were at the dining table, they turned to look at Ryoko.

"Sasami dear, I need to be alone with Ryoko." Ayeka whispered to her sister. Sasami nodded and retreated to the kitchen.

Ayeka motion for Ryoko to sit next to her.

"Good morning Ryoko. Are you all right?" Ayeka asked.

"What happened? Where is Tenchi? When did he come to my room?" She fumbled her locket in her hands.

"Tenchi is at school. Today is Monday after all."

"Oh...right. Did Tenchi say anything to you this morning, Ayeka?"

"Yes. He did." she said slowly. "But I told him 'no'."

"...Why? I thought you loved Tenchi." Ryoko was even more confused now.

"We both love Lord Tenchi, but only one of us needs his love in return, Ryoko."

"Needs?"

Ayeka took a deep breathe and explained everything that happened after Ryoko had talked to Tenchi that morning. Near the end, Ryoko was in tears (though not sad ones).

"You need Tenchi, Ryoko. You said herself that without him, you are all alone." she wiped away Ryoko's tears and smiled. "It is true that I love him, but I refuse to take Lord Tenchi from the one who loves him more than I. Tenchi was going to talk to you again this morning, but you had fallen asleep."

Ryoko fell into Ayeka's arms and cried. Through her hard sobs, Ryoko continued to say, "thank you" to her dear friend.

_Later that day, Tenchi's school_

About a half hour before Tenchi would be out of school, Ryoko had changing into a fresh kimono and took Ryo-ohki on her shoulder. After her talk with Ayeka earlier that day, she wanted to see Tenchi as soon as she could. Ryoko eagerly waited outside the gate to Tenchi's school as the bell finally rang.

Students poured out of the building and Ryoko watched them as they walked passed her. Ryoko could hear some girls whispering rudely to each other about her as they went by, but she just smiled warmly at them. She didn't care. She was going to see Tenchi and nothing would ruin that.

As the horde of students disappeared, she looked around the fence to see if Tenchi was coming. For a long time, she didn't see him. She looked at Ryo-ohki with sad eyes.

"He's not coming..." she held back her tears. Ryo-ohki tried to make her feel better by cuddling against her cheek and meowing quietly. She leaned against the fence, petting her.

Just then, Tenchi walked by. He was staring at his feet and had a very serious look on his face. Ryoko's eyes lit up and she quietly followed behind him. She could hear him muttering to himself and suddenly heard her own name. She sneaked closer behind him and listened. Ryo-ohki jumped to the ground and followed behind them.

Tenchi continued to speak out loud, completely unaware that Ryoko was behind him. He was obviously thinking about what he was going to say the Ryoko when he got home.

"Ryoko, I..." he stopped his sentence. "Ryoko, I had a talk with Ayeka...and I decided that I..." he stopped again. "I thought about it all day...and I realized that Ayeka was right. She said that you need me and I want to be there for you." he paused and then smiled to himself. "Before you left, you use to float around my room at night and talk to me when you thought I was asleep. You would tell me everything you couldn't tell me when I was awake, for whatever reason...and it always made me want to smile." he stopped again, smiling.

Ryoko smiled and blushed at Tenchi's rambling. _"So you knew about that. I loved to watch you sleep."_ she thought. She listened in on more of Tenchi conversation.

"After I talked to Ayeka today, I realized my sudden feelings for her were not as 'real' as the feelings I felt for you back then. I've decided to just stay friends with Ayeka. At first, I was crushed when Ayeka told me she wouldn't return my feelings, but she helped me see how much _you_ meant to me. I still have those feelings I had for you way back then and I want you to know...that I love you, Ryoko. I want to be there for you...and you only." He smiled and looked up at the sky.

Ryoko shed a tear of happiness. She wiped it away and finally spoke to Tenchi. "You were always there for me, my Tenchi..." she smiled as Tenchi whirled around to face her.

"Ryoko!"

"I was waiting for you by the school gate. You walked by and were in deep conversation..." she quieted as Tenchi took her hands in his.

"I meant every word of what I said, Ryoko. I know it's sudden, but I seem to be having sudden feelings a lot now days. Still, I'm sure the feeling I have for you is love.

"I believe you, Tenchi." she put her head on his shoulder and hugged him.

"Ryoko..." Tenchi smiled and returned Ryoko's hug.

"I love you too, Tenchi."

_Several days later_

Ryoko awoke suddenly in her bed. A familiar sound was coming from outside; the sound of rain. Ryoko poked her head through the curtains. She wasn't afraid anymore, but she still felt slightly uneasy.

"You always find me, don't you." she whispered to the raindrops on her window.

She slumped against the wall beneath the window and reached into the front of her nightdress for her locket. She smiled at her precious trinket and opened it. A cute little boy looked back at her from inside it. Ryoko gazed at the boy, her emotions boiled inside her. She gritted her teeth and started to cry.

Tenchi just happened to be walking back to his room from the bathroom, when he heard Ryoko's painful sobs. He knocked on her door and entered.

"Ryoko? What is the matter?" he asked sweetly. He kneeled down at her right side and put a hand on her shoulder.

She continued to cry. She flung her arms around his middle and cried into his chest. Tenchi stroked her hair and back to comfort her. For a long time, they stayed that way. She then threw her hand in the air with her locket clutched tightly in her fist, yelling franticly.

"Tenchi! Tenchiiiiiiii! I'm a horrible person! Why did I do it! Why do the memories haunt me like this?" her crying died down and she quietly whimpered into Tenchi's chest.

Tenchi didn't know what Ryoko was talking about. She was eying the picture in her locket like she was seeing the most horrible thing imaginable. Tenchi gently laid Ryoko down on her bed and took her necklace off.

Tenchi had just given the locket to Ryoko, so how did it suddenly bring up some deep memory of hers? There was no way she knew the boy in the picture, so why was she so afraid of him?

He laid at her side and continued to comfort her. After she was calmed down, she spoke again.

"The rain. It found me then, too." she took the locket in her hand. "That day... I wish I could take it back."

Tenchi whispered to her as she gazed at the boy's picture again.

"Ryoko. What happened when you left us?" he locked his eyes with hers. "I need to know what happened to make you change." he ran his fingers slowly through her hair.

She sat up slowly and looked down at the floor. "I wasn't the same space pirate I was before. When I went back to that lifestyle, I wasn't able to do the things I had done before I spent time here on earth."

"What do you mean? You didn't go back to Kaga- I mean..._that_ _guy_, did you?" Tenchi sat up and tried to stay calm.

"No, Tenchi. I did not go back to Kagato." She calmly stated to Tenchi. "I would never go back to him in a million lifetimes. When Ayeka told me to go back were I came from that day, I just went back around Jurai."

"Sorry, Washu told me about him. ...Why did you go away? Why didn't you just yell and fight with Ayeka like you had always done?"

"I always felt like I didn't belong. Everyone else in this house seemed so normal compared to me. When Ayeka told me to go, I went to the only place I remember belonging. A place where everyone was just like me, a space pirate."

(A/N: This is where I start my own part to 'Ryoko's Past'...dun dun duuun.)

Tenchi had never thought Ryoko was any different from the other girls in the house. They were all pretty, young women to him. He could see what she meant, though. Not many of the girls could fly, shoot things out of their hands, or phase though solid objects like Ryoko could.

Ryoko stood up, walked over to the window, and looked outside. "I had thought about leaving to go back to being a space pirate many times, but my fight with Ayeka is what finally made up my mind. I went to an old space pirate hideout I use to stay at after I left that bastard, Kagato. I hadn't been there in a long time."

"Obviously...you were in that cave for all those years." added Tenchi.

"Yes, but the secret gathering places of space pirates never change, so it was still there. It is basically a deserted moon off of Jurai. It's very small, not well known, but is a perfect place to lay low. In those three weeks I managed to gain the trust of the other space pirates and was able to join their little gang."

"Then why were you hurt so badly when you came back? And what are you so mad and frightened of?" he pointed at the golden locket still in Ryoko's hand. The memory of an injured Ryoko falling into his arms made his emotions flair.

Ryoko's eyes filled with painful remorse. "Like I said, I wasn't the same space pirate I was before."

Tenchi got up and stood by the window next to Ryoko.

"The rain...the picture in the locket...what do they mean in your bad memories of those three weeks, Ryoko?"

A long silence.

"Though I was away from space pirate life for so long, and all of my fellow pirates from way back when are dead..." she gripped her hands on the sides of her head and closed her eyes. "They all knew who I was! The people that were there knew I was the infamous space pirate Ryoko!" she took her hands away and placed them on the window.

"Did they hurt you Ryoko?"

She took a deep breathe in. "When I left to start my pirate life again, I couldn't wait. I wanted to go and steal something, blow something up, cause mayhem...you know." she looked at Tenchi. He nodded so she could continue. "But when I joined up with some of the others and got to a populated city, I couldn't do it. I kept thinking about all the innocent people. I had gone soft, Tenchi." she looked at him and actually smiled.

Ryoko looked at the little boy in her locket again. For a long time, she smiled at his happy face. Lightening sounded from outside. Her face went dark. "As I floated above the city of innocent people, I told the other space pirates I was with I didn't want to hurt anyone. They shouted at me from their spaceships."

"Why would they hurt you for that?"

"Space pirates don't like it when you go soft. If you can't do the job, they don't keep you around. They also started calling me a 'fake'. Saying I wasn't the dreaded space pirate Ryoko that was known for her crimes and murders all over the universe! They turned on me and yes, they hurt me. Of course, I still had to defend myself." she let the golden locket fall in the floor and quenched her fists. She tried to speak but the words wouldn't come. She trembled and looked at Tenchi.

"I know you didn't mean to hurt anyone, Ryoko." he put an arm around her.

"But I did Tenchi." she whispered. "I unleashed a powerful wave of hate and destruction on them all."

"The city too?" he asked slowly.

"Yes. All because I didn't want my villainous name- which I could care less about now, to be ruined. But I didn't mean to! Before I lost my mind, I looked at the people far below me. They were so happy. Happy families going about their normal day." she looked at Tenchi and then back at the picture on the floor. "When I look at that happy little boy, he reminds me of all those happy people I killed."

Tenchi picked up the antique necklace and put it around Ryoko's neck. He didn't say anything; he just looked at her with a sympathetic look.

"After I realized what I had done, I hurt myself a little bit too. I scratched at myself as if I could get rid of the evil by bleeding it out." she rubbed her arms.

"That's why you had gashes all over when you came back."

She nodded. "It started to rain. As I floated over the crying ruins of the city, I made up my mind to change the person I was. After everything I just went through, I didn't want to be 'Space Pirate Ryoko' anymore. I wanted to start all over and be someone who would never bring harm to anyone. ...All of that happened the same day I came back to you." she looked at Tenchi.

Tenchi looked deep into her eyes. He was surprised to see that her eyes had a shine to them. This was the first time since before she left, that her eyes were not clouded with some kind of pain or remorse.

Ryoko spoke again and Tenchi snapped back into reality. "I'm glad I changed Tenchi. Now that I'm not the loud and aggressive bitch I use to be, I feel like I finally fit in." She smiled at Tenchi, her golden eyes shining.

"I'm glad too, Ryoko. And I can tell you feel better now that you have told your whole story. Your eyes are no longer clouded with locked up memories" Tenchi gently kissed Ryoko's forehead and she gave him a hug.

"Thank you Tenchi." she whispered into his ear.

Their eyes locked again and Ryoko gave Tenchi a slow, passionate kiss. He smiled warmly at her as she walked to her bedroom door.

She turned around and mouthed "I love you Tenchi".

He wondered why she didn't say it out loud, but he followed her lead. "I love you too, Ryoko" he said silently.

They smiled at each other as Ryoko slid open her door. With a loud crash, five female eavesdroppers fell to Ryoko's feet. Ayeka, Sasami (Ryo-ohki on her head), Mihoshi, Kiyone, and even Washu, had been listening outside the room with their ears to the door the whole time. It was obvious to Tenchi that Ryoko knew this. She smiled at them all and walked down the hall like nothing had happened.

The girls stood up and Tenchi walked over to them.

"Do you think Ryoko is really feeling better now, Tenchi?" asked Sasami quietly.

"Yes, she is." he gazed at Ryoko as she turned to smile at him before she walked downstairs.

"How do you know for sure, Lord Tenchi?" asked Ayeka confused.

"By the look in her beautiful eyes." he said affectionately.

_End_

A/N: Bwahaha! I finished it at last! I'm so happy! (dances) I hope you enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed writing it, everyone. The end wasn't fabulous, nothing big either, but _I_ liked it. And sure, some of the dialogue was lame, but so what! I told you Ryoko would get Tenchi, so many of you didn't believe me after chapter four, but I told you. I didn't get any more ideas (that fit) from reviewers to add to this chapter, so I worked with what I had. If you didn't like the way it ended, you had your chance to participate. I want to know what you thought of my very first Tenchi Muyo story so please take time to review (it doesn't take that long). Ah, and thank you to the people who have been there for me the whole time! You guys are what gave me the motivation to keep writing this story. Thank you!


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